battery

Switch 2 will have replaceable battery in 2027

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nintendo has confirmed on its consumer information website that prepares a revised version of the Switch 2 for the European market, one in which the battery can be easily replaced. It is not really a traditional revision as we might expect, but a new version born as a result of complying with European regulations that will come into force in 2027. What is this about? The key is in the Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries, which as of February 18, 2027 requires that cells and batteries integrated in certain devices sold in the EU can be removed and replaced by the user himself easily and at any time during the product’s useful life. Portable consoles fall into that category, so the Switch 2 is fully affected. What Nintendo says. In the official publication On its website, the company assures that it is “implementing measures to comply with these requirements by preparing versions of products that comply with the Regulation.” To differentiate those models from the current ones, Nintendo says the new ones will carry different model numbers and the additional “OSM” code visible on the packaging, identifying them as “standalone products for regulatory purposes.” How affected models are recognized. Nintendo doesn’t mention the Switch 2 by name, instead talking about “current products whose model numbers start with ‘BEE’.” That is precisely the case of Switch 2, whose model number is BEE-001, as collects VGC. The Joy-Con 2 (BEE-012 and BEE-014) and the Switch 2 Pro controller (BEE-008) also have integrated batteries and share that same prefix, so they could also receive a review if the regulations apply to them. At the moment, Nintendo has not confirmed it. Details yet to be confirmed. Nintendo does not explain what will change at the design level to facilitate replacement. And it will require a major change, because nowadays replacing the Switch 2 battery is no small feat. According to the repair guide from iFixit, the battery is not accessible even after removing the back cover, and requires disassembling a large part of the device and then reassembling it. The one with the Joy-Con 2 is somewhat simpler, but it’s not easy either. Only for the EU, for now. Nintendo has not yet committed to selling these models outside of Europe, nor is it under any obligation to do so. However, as they point From Tom’s Guide, making a completely different version of hardware for a single region ends up making little economic sense. And the usual thing is that regional variants are limited to specific components, not to redesigns as important as this one. That’s why it wouldn’t be strange if, over time, the “OSM” models also end up reaching other markets, although for now it’s just a guess. When. The only certainty is that Nintendo will have these adapted consoles in European stores before February 18, 2027. What is not clear is the exact schedule or whether the original version will coexist with the new one or will end up disappearing. Nor should we lose sight of the fact that these models will arrive, presumably, after the price increase planned for Septemberwhich places the console at 500 euros here in Europe. We will have to wait to find out more information about it. In Xataka | A CD Projekt developer: “Do you know what we’re doing for ‘The Witcher 4’? People aren’t ready”

everything for a giant battery

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The energy transition has accustomed us to focusing on what is most visible: solar panels on roofs, wind turbines on mountains, renewable parks spread across the territory. But a decisive part of the electric future is not only in producing more, but in better managing what we already produce. It is not enough to generate more clean energy if we are not able to store it when there is excess and return it when it is needed. That is the logic behind the project being built in Laufenburg, Switzerland: an underground battery designed to store electricity on a large scale and help stabilize the grid. The project. FlexBase, the Swiss group behind the project, is building that facility in Laufenburgin the canton of Aargau, next to the German border and on a site that plans to connect to the national high-voltage grid. The group is digging a 27-metre-deep pit, longer than two football fields, to house the storage system underground. The battery will be part of the future Laufenburg Technology Centera 20,000 square meter complex with computing infrastructure, offices and laboratories. A grid-scale battery. The Laufenburg project has been defined with a planned capacity of 1.5 GWh of storage after the choice of Invinity Energy Systems as technology partner. The comparison helps ground the figure: this would be equivalent to storing enough electricity to supply about 200,000 average homes in the United Kingdom for one day. In subsequent phases, the installation could grow to 2.1 GWh, if FlexBase moves forward with this expansion. How this technology works. The easiest way to understand a redox flow battery is to forget about a mobile phone battery for a moment. In a lithium-ion battery, the energy is stored within a fairly compact structure. In a redox flow battery, however, the energy is in liquid electrolytes stored in large tanks. When the system has to deliver electricity, these liquids are pumped into stacks of cells, where the reaction occurs that converts that chemical energy into electricity useful for the grid. The tanks are, to put it graphically, the place where the energy is stored. The cells are the part that allows it to be removed and used. The Swiss system will be recharged with renewable surpluses, mainly solar and wind. But no one talks about AI? Maybe you were missing a word that lately appears in almost any technological conversation: artificial intelligence. And yes, it’s here too. Not because the battery will “work with AI” but because the Laufenburg complex will include an artificial intelligence-oriented data center that will operate within the Laufenburg Technology Centre. The storage system is designed to smooth out the variable electrical demand associated with this computing and, at the same time, offer stabilization services to the network. Partner enters the scene. FlexBase will not develop the technological part of the battery alone. As we say, the Swiss company has selected Invinity Energy Systems as a strategic partner to design and deliver the Laufenburg vanadium flow system. According to FlexBase, the British-Canadian company won the selection process for its entire technical proposal. The main argument is a combination of lifetime costs, safety, non-flammability, cycle stability and modularity. Now the project enters the engineering phase, where the teams will have to adjust the control software and the electrical connection with the existing network. The next step. Swissgrid wants to connect the national high-voltage grid to the Laufenburg site, in what would be the first connection of its kind in Switzerland. For the operator, large batteries can become a relevant piece of the future of the network because they allow electricity to be moved over time: absorbing it when it is abundant and delivering it when it is needed. It is not a battery for everything. The very logic of a redox flow battery helps to understand its limits: if you need large tanks to store energy, it will hardly be the best option when space and weight rule. Its lower energy density makes it less suitable for applications such as electric vehicles. It should also be noted that vanadium flow batteries remain at an earlier commercial stage and are usually more expensive than lithium-ion ones. Its promise is not to replace all batteries, but to fill a very specific niche: stationary, durable and long-lasting storage. The calendar, for now, looks to 2029. FlexBase plans to launch the facility that year and expects to generate around 300 jobs linked to the future Laufenburg Technology Centre. The company presents the project as a privately financed initiative, with an estimated investment between 1,000 and 5,000 million Swiss francs (between 1,090 and 5,450 million euros). If the deadlines are met, Laufenburg will not only house a huge underground battery: it will also become one of Europe’s most ambitious bets to store electricity where the grid begins to need it. Images | FlexBase In Xataka | We will run out of space on dry land one day. So Spain is already putting solar panels into the sea

To move the cutting head of the ‘Monica’ tunnel boring machine, a 152-wheel truck was needed. It’s the key to Australia’s ‘water battery’

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Transporting a gigantic tunnel boring machine to the work point is no small feat, and Madrid has a few things to say about this. However, in Cooma, a small town in the Australian state of New South Wales, they seem to have gotten the hang of it. And the colossal piece of steel crossed its streets at a snail’s pace on a 152 wheel truck. The cargo was part of Snowy 2.0one of the largest energy storage projects in the world. What is it about?. The piece was the central block of the cutting head of the tunnel boring machine named Monica. According to Snowy Hydro, the public company behind the project, this component weighs more than 137 tons and measures seven meters wide. The head is the part that really matters in a tunnel boring machine, since it is the rotating disc that faces the rock and crushes it as it moves. Media deployment. Monica’s head is too big to transport in one piece, so it had to be divided into five parts. Still, just moving the center block required months of preparation. The entire transport reached 73 meters in length, and was moved at night facing the last stretch along the Snowy Mountains Highway, heading to the Marica site, north of Kiandra, where the machine would be assembled. A colossal engineering project. This move was just one piece of a much larger puzzle. The company indicates that in the previous weeks more than 140 large loads were delivered to Marica from the port of Port Kembla, south of Sydney. The tunnel boring machines do not arrive assembled, as they are transported in sections (head, drive system, shields, support platforms) and are assembled on site. In fact, last October, the transport of Monica’s motor system (a component about 207 tons and eight meters wide) brought more than 1,500 people to Cooma, in what Snowy Hydro called one of the largest loads ever transported by road in New South Wales. What is all this for? Snowy 2.0 is, in essence, a gigantic water battery. The project will connect the Tantangara and Talbingo reservoirs through some 27 kilometers of tunnels and an underground power station. The idea is to generate electricity by turbineing water when demand is high and, in times of surplus solar and wind energy, pump it back uphill for reuse. The company assures that it will have a capacity of 2,200 megawatts and enough stored energy to supply about three million homes for a week. Start-up. Last February, Snowy Hydro announced that Monica had been commissioned and would be responsible for excavating the section of the tunnel that crosses the Long Plain fault zone, a geologically complicated area. Designed by the German firm Herrenknecht, the machine advances at one end of the tunnel while another tunnel boring machine, Florence, does so at the opposite. The idea is that both are underground before being dismantled. For those dates the project exceeded 70% execution. Snowy 2.0 has not been without controversy with news of cost overruns and delays, and completion is now scheduled for December 2028. Images | Snowy Hydro In Xataka | Canada is going to debut the residential skyscraper with the most floors in all of North America: it has 12 sides and 351 meters high

China has more solid-state battery patents than anyone else and still fears being left behind for one reason: Japan

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What China is leading the energy and mobility transition What we are witnessing does not take anyone by surprise at this point. However, not all fish are sold, and in energy storage we are going to witness a significant evolution with the arrival of solid state batteriesa type of battery that we have been talking about for years. Just like they count From CarNewsChina, the country dominates the volume of research and records on solid-state batteries, but be careful because that leadership on paper does not guarantee winning the commercial race. And it is that a new analysis of the Xinhua agency recognizes that the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea are moving forward with more industrial coordination and better international deployment of patents, just when the technology enters a decisive phase for its commercialization. Why it matters. Solid-state batteries are considered the next big leap from current lithium-ion batteries. These promise more energy density, faster charges, greater security and longer lifespan. They not only affect the electric car, but also humanoid robotseVTOL (vertical take-off aircraft), consumer electronics and stationary storage. Basically, whoever controls the technology and, above all, its manufacturing at scale, will set the pace of mobility and energy in the next decade. Patent war. China accounts for around 35% of the world market for solid-state patents and 39% of those related to electrolytes, the largest global share, according to share from CarNewsChina. Scientific publications have gone from 21 articles in 2015 to 562 in 2023, with institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences or Tsinghua University leading advances in the engineering of the solid-solid interface, which for years has been one of the great bottlenecks. On the other hand, Japan continues to be the leading technological source with about 37% of global requests, compared to 30% from China. Japan is ahead. The problem in China is not quantity, but the concentration and quality of your strategy. Among the 30 most relevant institutions in the world in solid state and electrolyte patents, 17 are Japanese7 Chinese, 5 South Korean and only 1 European. The top ten positions are entirely Japanese or Korean. Toyota, alone, accumulates around 40% of all intellectual property in the sector. Added to this is a structural weakness, since Chinese companies register many fewer international patents than their Japanese and South Korean rivals, who shield their technology in the United States, Europe, India and Southeast Asia. The companies that move the board. CATL, BYD and SVOLT are leading the latest phase of this technology. And only in 2023 will Chinese companies filed more than 500 patent applications. Gotion High-tech The design of a 2 GWh line for totally solid batteries has already been finalized and another 0.2 GWh pilot line is operating with tests on vehicles. Ganfeng Lithium, backed by Changan, claims to have reached 1,100 cycles in a 400 Wh/kg cell and aims for 500 Wh/kg in production. On the other hand, Chinese researchers have also shown a prototype of 451.5 Wh/kg capable of charging in three minutes. CATL, for its part, is patenting lithium compounds with fluorine and sulfur electrolytes to improve fast charging and thermal stability. Deadlines. own report Xinhua places the start of production in small series around 2027 and broader commercialization around 2030. The industry continues to work in parallel on three electrolyte routes (sulfide, oxide and polymer) without any having won yet. Furthermore, according to the media, there are still challenges to overcome, including the formation of lithium dendrites, ionic transport mechanisms, solid-solid interface engineering or cell failure modes. And now what. China is preparing to industrialize what it currently masters in the laboratory. And its first national standard on solid state batteries (“Terms and Classification”) is under public consultation and proposes to differentiate between liquid, solid-liquid hybrid and totally solid cells. For now, the country dominates in terms of volume of papers and research, but it is clear that real dominance will come from manufacturers who first resolve large-scale production, cost, durability and safety. And let’s be honest, China has an advantage, especially with CATL and BYD controlling much of the world’s battery sharebut in the field of solid-state batteries there is still play. Cover image | Michael Fousert In Xataka | The EU no longer knows what to do to stop its car manufacturers from buying parts from China. So he’s going to force them

Six phones that already have a silicon-carbon battery and promise up to three days of use without being a brick

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The silicon-carbon batteries They are no longer theoretical or a thing of the future: they are here to stay. At the moment, it is the Chinese manufacturers that are betting on this technology, but it is normal that we will soon see mobile phones of all types with these batteries. And the most striking thing is that this technology is not reserved only for the high-end: There are options for less than 400 euros. Let’s first see what this technology consists of and what differences there are with lithium-ion batteries. Oppo Find X9 5G 16GB/512GB Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Carbon-silicon as one more detail to look at when choosing a mobile Although many aspects come into play, as a general rule, the greater the battery capacity, the greater the autonomy of a device. The “problem” is that the batteries that cell phones (and other devices) have been using until now, lithium ion onesuse graphite anodes, which has already reached its energy density ceiling. In other words: for one of these batteries to have more capacity, it has to be bigger. And that causes the device that uses it to become a hulk. This is why silicon-carbon is so important. These batteries, which use this material in the anode instead of graphite, can store much more energy without the need to increase the size of the battery. This means that we can have telephones with a thickness less than 8 millimeters with batteries that exceed 6,000 mAh. Just a year ago it was unthinkable; Today it is beginning to be an accessible reality. Small note here to keep in mind. If you start searching on the Internet for a mobile phone with silicon-carbon, you may find versions with different capacities. Example: the Vivo X300 Pro has an international version with a 6,510 mAh battery, while in Spain it has arrived with 5,440 mAh. Because? As our colleague explains Ivan Linaresit all boils down to saving costs, but not manufacturing costs, but transportation. For safety reasons, if batteries exceed a certain nominal capacity (UN3481 regulations speaks of 20 Wh for each cell), transporting the device becomes much more expensive. Three mobile phones with silicon-carbon batteries for less than 500 euros As we mentioned above, despite being a relatively new technology, silicon-carbon is not limited to very expensive mobile phones. It is true that manufacturers like Samsung, Google or Apple still do not use these batteries, but we have several Chinese manufacturers that do. Below, we leave you three examples that cost less than 500 euros right now. Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ The cheapest option on this list is Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5Ga device that is currently coming out 300.29 euros with the coupon ‘ESCD18’. It has a 6,500 mAh battery with a thickness of 8.47 millimeters, with enough autonomy for more than two days. It is not the most powerful option nor the one with the best camera, but it does have good fast charging (100 W), a 6.83-inch screen compatible with Dolby Vision and a speaker system that works well. XIAOMI REDMI Note 15 Pro+ 5G – 8+256GB Smartphone, 6.83″ 1.5K AMOLED Screen, Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, 200 MP Camera, 100W Hypercharge, Charger Not Included, Mocha Coffee (ES Version) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links POCO X8 Pro Max There are batteries with a lot of capacity on this list, but not as much as the one included in the POCO X8 Pro Max. It is impressive that a mobile phone that is 8.2 millimeters and weighs 218 grams has an 8,500 mAh battery, figures more typical of a tablet than a mobile phone. As we always say, it depends on the use we give it, but it is a capacity that will easily give you between two and three days of autonomy. In addition, it performs remarkably and has a good 6.83-inch screen. Costs 412.79 euros with the coupon ‘ESCD18’. Xiaomi POCO X8 Pro Max (12+256 GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Realme 16 Pro+ 7,000 mAh battery in a thickness of 8.1 millimeters. That’s what this one has Realme 16 Pro+a device that has a telephoto sensor that is not present in the two previous options. Beyond this, it also offers good performance and a 6.8-inch screen that stands out for having a sustained brightness level of 1,800 nits. Translation: we will be able to see it perfectly even on those very sunny days. comes out for 361.24 euros with the coupon ‘ESCD18’. realme 16 Pro+ 5G Smartphone 8+256GB, 6.8 Inch Screen, Master Grey, 144Hz, 80W Ultra Charge, 7000mAh Battery, 300MP Camera, Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, IP69 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Do you have a larger budget? So there are mobile phones with greater power, better cameras and premium finishes. Three mobile phones with silicon-carbon batteries for more than 500 euros If you are looking for mid-range or high-end mobile phones with silicon-carbon, you have a choice. There are very outstanding options that have just come out, such as the Vivo X300 Ultra either the Oppo Find X9 Ultrabut we are going to give you three options that are very interesting and that, since they have been available for a little longer, we can find something cheaper. Vivo X200 FE He Vivo X200 FE It is the mobile phone on this list that has been available the longest, hence we can find it at a very attractive price (582.79 euros with the coupon ‘ESCD18’). In this case, we have a device with a 6,500 mAh battery and 90 W fast charging, which is not bad at all. This device is highly recommended if you like compact mobile phones, since it is less than 8 millimeters thick (7.99 specifically) and has a 6.31-inch screen. Mobile – vivo The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Oppo Find X9 Although he has two … Read more

raw power, outstanding camera and large capacity battery

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If you were waiting for the moment to make the jump to a high-end mobile phone, now is a good time to do it thanks to this offer that Amazon has. He Xiaomi 17 (the latest flagship launched by the Chinese manufacturer) has dropped in price and has gone from costing 1,099.90 euros to 899.99 euros. Although yes, it is a flash offer, so it will be available for a limited time. XIAOMI 17 – 12+512GB Smartphone The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A mobile phone with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor that offers plenty of power The heart of this Xiaomi 17 is he Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (accompanied by 12 GB RAM and 512 GB of internal storage). In addition to being 30% faster than its predecessor, it has made a giant leap in thermal efficiency thanks to the 3D IceLoop system. Although it is true that his older brother (the Xiaomi 17 Ultra) takes the 200 MP sensor, this standard Xiaomi 17 is not far behind. Incorporates a 50 MP main camera with a one-inch sensor and refined with LOFIC HDR technology, to control high lights in night scenes. Another of its surprising features is its battery. This has a capacity of 6,330 mAh, a capacity which is surprising in a body of just 8 mm. In addition, it supports fast charging at 100 W, so it is perfect if you want to charge your phone in the morning, while you have breakfast, before going to work. In real practice, it is a mobile phone that lasts a day and a half perfectly without going through the plug. If you want a compact high-end mobile (its screen is 6.3 inches), flat and extremely powerful, this Xiaomi is a good purchase option. In this new Xiaomi 17 family, you could say that this terminal has stopped being the “little brother” to become a very balanced option for the general public. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: offer for the xiaomi 17 today ✅ THE BEST Leica cameras: The Xiaomi 17 takes photos with organic texture and dynamic range (thanks to the LOFIC sensor) that look like they were taken from a professional camera rather than a smartphone. Battery: It seems like magic to integrate 6,330 mAh in such a thin design. In addition, its autonomy is enough for a full day (and then some). ❌ THE WORST The price… Xiaomi is no longer the affordable mobile phone brand that we were used to. This terminal fully enters the 1,000 euro barrier, competing head to head with Samsung and Apple. Secondary cameras… Although the main lens is superb, the wide-angle lens can be a step behind in low light situations, making the jump in quality between sensors noticeable. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are an avid photographer and value the natural color and manual control that Leica optics offer. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… Your budget is tight, since a Xiaomi T series or a high-end Poco can give you a similar (although not the same) experience at 70-80% but at half the price. Some accessories that may interest you for this mobile Olgary Case for Xiaomi 17 6.3″ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links XIAOMI Buds 5 – Wireless headphones The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Xiaomi In Xataka | Xiaomi 17 vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra: two similar brothers focused on very different audiences In Xataka | The new Xiaomi 17 versus the Samsung Galaxy S26: we compare the five models that will fight for the best Android of the year

Charging the battery properly is a hassle. So the Madrid firefighters have had to come out and explain how to do it.

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The Madrid Security and Emergency Agency has published a series of recommendations (something that comes remembering year after year) as a result of something they see constantly (: domestic accidents due to bad practices when charging a phone. What in 2026 seems obvious does not have to be so obvious, so it is worth collecting some of the points in which some users continue to fail. It doesn’t work anywhere. Raise your hand if you have ever carried your cell phone on the bed or sofa. Such a common practice can end up leading to a fire. The basic recommendations are clear. Do not charge the device near any device that emits heat, such as the car dashboard itself (when it is connected by cable to it) or a radiator. Do not carry it on beds, chairs or textile surfaces. These, in addition to increasing the temperature of the device, are highly flammable. The 112 recommendation is the same that we have been doing for years at Xataka: charge on a smooth, non-combustible surface, and if possible cool and ventilated. Be careful with chargers. 112 explains that we should only use “approved chargers.” To verify that this is the case, all we have to do is look at whether or not the charger has a visible CE marking. This type of charger always includes data on its input voltage, output, amperage and power. As Xatakero advice, we recommend buy chargers with official fast charging protocols such as Quick Charge (QC), Power Delivery or PPS. This is a perfect indication that the manufacturer has taken care to offer compatibility with the best charging protocols of the moment, since the final power does not tell us everything: how it charges matters. Add to this that, although chargers are specifically designed to collect heat (all the heat they collect is heat they take away from your device), it is best not to put them near flammable surfaces. Be careful with repairs. A point that we do not usually take into account and that can end in a bad outcome is the quality of the replacement battery. Nowadays it is more than common to use compatible batteries instead of the original ones, since they are much cheaper. Here it is important to be clear about where the battery comes from and what its safety guarantees are. A poor quality battery can bloat, not control the temperature like an original one, and cause significant damage. Go deeper. It is no coincidence that year after year, and with the arrival of heat, you discover these articles with tips (that you may or may not know) on how to charge your cell phone. Fires caused by plugged-in electronic devices remain on the order of the dayand every memory about the recommendations for charging our devices makes sense. With the rise of silicon-carbonincreasingly larger batteries, and fast charging systems that exceed 100w, we have advanced and safe technology, but it requires a little effort on our part. In Xataka Mobile | A 12,000 mAh battery in a mobile phone is possible: Xiaomi advances the future of silicon-carbon with the next Redmi

a battery that charges in six minutes

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CATL, literally the largest Chinese battery company in the world, has just presented its new technologies at its Tech Day, and has left us some very interesting gems, including its new ultra-fast charging batteries. And the manufacturer has managed to develop a battery capable of charging the car in just over six minuteswith an autonomy that far exceeds current limits. The Achilles heel of the electric. The biggest psychological barrier for anyone considering buying an electric car remains the same: how long it takes to charge and how far it goes on a charge. CATL has been trying to eliminate this problem at its roots through innovation for years. What it has presented now has possibly been the biggest leap that the company has taken on both fronts at the same time. What you have presented. The company has announced two technologies main. The first is the third generation of its Shenxing battery, made of chemical LFP (lithium-ferrophosphate), which manages to charge from 10% to 98% in 6 minutes and 27 seconds. In just 3 minutes and 44 seconds it reaches 80%. The company claims that even at temperatures of -30°C, the battery can be charged from 20% to 98% in just 9 minutes. The key to these magnificent figures is the world’s lowest internal resistance for ultra-fast charging: 0.25 milliohms, half the industry average. On the other hand, there is the new version of its Qilin condensed battery, aimed at long-haul vehicles, which reaches 1,500 kilometers of autonomy on a single charge, according to affirms the company. That is more or less equivalent to going from Madrid to Paris without recharging, and on paper you would still have autonomy. The previous version reached 1,000 km. How is it compared to BYD. CATL’s main rival in the global electric vehicle battery market is BYD, and there is so much competition between both companies that they are pushing the pace of innovation to an unprecedented level. Just a few days ago we were in Paris at the European presentation of Denza, where BYD showed the capabilities of its Blade Battery 2.0capable of charging from 10% to 97% in 9 minutes. On paper, CATL’s new Shenxing improves that time significantly, achieving practically the same load in just over 6 minutes. In extreme cold conditions, the difference is also in favor of CATL: 9 minutes compared to the 12 minutes needed by the BYD system for similar loads at -30 °C. But hey, regardless of the manufacturer, the truth is that the figures being achieved today are quite spectacular. Together, both companies control more than half of the global electric car battery market. According to data From SNE Research, CATL closed 2025 with 39.2% of the global market, while BYD occupied second place with 16.4%. Other technologies. CATL has also announced relevant developments on other fronts. presented the second generation of its Freevoy hybrid battery, which mixes LFP and NCM chemistry at the powder level for extended range hybrid vehicles (EREV). This battery allows up to 600 km of pure electric range with ultra-fast charging as standard. By the end of this year, in addition, the company has promised to begin mass production of sodium-ion batteries, a technology that reduces dependence on lithium, cobalt and nickel. Charging points. In infrastructure, which is perhaps the part that most interests the consumer, CATL has announced which will build 100,000 battery charging and changing points in China before the end of 2028, in collaboration with several car manufacturers in the country. As usual, in Europe we have to wait. Mass adoption and infrastructure is one of the fundamental steps for the end customer to opt for an electric vehicle. In Spain we have plenty of charging pointsbut according to latest Anfac barometeronly 4% of the available charging points reach 250 kW of power or more, the threshold necessary to access this type of ultra-fast charging. In fact, BYD needs 1,500 kW of power, and they plan to bring about 3,000 points in Europe by 2026. So yes, there is still some way to go in this. Cover image | Zaptec In Xataka | Xiaomi or Xpeng car factories are so advanced that they have become the favorite destination of Chinese schools

the largest battery company in the world is no longer just about batteries

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The Chinese company specialized in the development of batteries has published results for the first quarter of 2026 that have left analysts speechless. Not because they are good, but because no one saw them coming. And the income has exceeded the forecasts of several analysis firms by 40%. The margin of error is so large that it only shows the obvious: that CATL It has long ceased to be just a battery company. What the numbers say. In the first quarter of 2026, CATL had a turnover of 129.1 billion yuan (about $18.9 billion), 52.5% more than in the same period of the previous year, according to they count from Reuters. Net profit grew 48.5% to 20.7 billion yuan. Analysts expected revenue growth of 35.7% and profit growth of 20.9%. The reality is that the numbers almost double the estimates. If the context of the successful year they had in 2025 is added, the image is just as groundbreaking, since according to the annual report The company’s own revenue that year reached 423.7 billion yuan, with a growth of 17%, and net profit rose 42%. Why analysts They have failed so much. Market consensus continued to treat CATL as a supplier of cells for electric cars. The problem is that this approach ignores two movements that are redefining the company. The first: energy storage, a business with higher margins than vehicle batteries, already represented around a quarter of the product the company shipped in the first quarter. According to data Production data collected by Hello China Tech, in April storage had climbed to 41.3% of total cell production, up from less than 20% a year earlier. The second movement: internationalization. Approximately a third of CATL’s revenue already comes from outside China. A Bet that explains everything. Energy storage is not a segment that CATL has joined by inertia. It is the logical consequence of a thesis: the world needs to store renewable energy on a massive scale. The war in Iran has skyrocketed global energy costs and accelerated demand for renewables, making storage systems critical infrastructure. CATL, which already led that market with a global share of 30.4% in 2025, according to SNE Research (for the fifth consecutive year), has arrived at the exact moment with the necessary capacity. And its shipments of batteries for storage have grown by 80% year-on-year in 2025. Europe as a lever for internationalization. The Debrecen plant, in Hungary, went into mass production during the first quarter of 2026. An investment of 7.3 billion euros to supply Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Stellantis and Volkswagen, with a planned capacity of 100 gigawatt-hours annually and a planned workforce of 9,000 people. This factory is proof that CATL is not content with being a supplier that exports cells, but rather a manufacturer with an industrial presence in the markets it serves. At home, dominating like never before. At the same time, CATL has reached a milestone in China that it had not achieved for five years. According to data from the Chinese Passenger Car Association collected According to CarNewsChina, its production share of electric vehicle batteries in the domestic market exceeded 50% in the first quarter of 2026. In the NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) type battery segment, that share reaches 81.6%. And in the LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) segment, where there is more competition, it reaches 41%, the highest level in four years. The world’s second largest manufacturer, BYD, fell to 13.4% global share, from 16% a year earlier. What CATL is today, beyond batteries. The company itself has been trying to change the story for some time. In your 2025 annual reportstates its ambition to become “a leading global zero-carbon technology company.” It may sound like corporate rhetoric, but it is worth noting that CATL has storage systems deployed in nearly 2,300 projects around the world. Its batteries power artificial intelligence data centers, including SenseTime’s in Shanghai, which the company says reduces electricity consumption by more than 10 million kilowatt-hours annually. It also has subsidiaries in the electric aviation sector and solutions for maritime transport zero emissions. It operates more than 1,000 battery exchange stations for passenger cars and more than 300 for heavy trucks. And it is building what it describes as the world’s first zero-carbon off-grid industrial park, in Shandong. ANDThe market has not yet it has finished processing. It’s not all good news. Morningstar analyst Vincent Sun warns that the automakers’ strategy of diversifying suppliers and cutting costs could “dilute CATL’s pricing power and put pressure on its unit profit.” When you are the dominant supplier, customers have incentives to reduce their dependence. Here it would be necessary to see if CATL’s diversification towards storage, energy services and internationalization builds a sufficient barrier. Cover image | CATL In Xataka | China and the US are dancing the AI ​​dance. And more and more they dance ‘agarraos’

CATL is the largest battery manufacturer in the world and has a new goal: electrify the entire sea

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CATL, the Chinese giant that dominates the global battery market for electric vehicles, it has become entrenched to move towards a new front: the electrification of maritime transport. It makes more sense than it seems, but it is still a great technical challenge. Although the company is not caught by surprise. Below these lines we tell you all the details. What you are already doing. The company, which controls 37% of the global market for batteries for electric cars and 22% of the energy storage market in electrical networks and data centers, has been working in the naval sector since 2017. It has so far deployed its battery systems on about 900 vessels, although mainly on small ships operating near the Chinese coast, in ports or on rivers. Its subsidiary dedicated specifically to powering ships already exists, and this year it plans to more than double the team’s staff, reaching around 500 people, according to confirmed Su Yi, the head of that division, told the Financial Times. Why now. As the media shares, the maritime sector is responsible for 3% of global carbon emissions, and the International Maritime Organization has set itself a goal halve those emissions by 2050. But there is another more recent catalyst that has made many companies reconsider: the recent escalation of war between the United States and Israel against Iran and the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The war in the Middle East has once again highlighted the fragility of energy supply chains and CATL has a good margin of maneuver there. According to counted To FT Neil Beveridge, an analyst at Bernstein specializing in energy in China, the long-term consequence of this type of situation will be an acceleration of the “global mega-migrant towards electrification.” CATL shares on the Shenzhen stock exchange have risen about 13% since the conflict with Iran broke out. The challenges. Electrifying boats is not like electrifying cars, up to this point I think we are all clear. But seriously, batteries have a much lower energy density than traditional fuels, making them impractical for long-distance ocean crossings. The middle shared the study by the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Navigation, in which they concluded that the most promising approach in the short term is hybrid: combining electric propulsion with combustion engines. Added to this are extra risks that come from the marine environment itself: greater exposure to humidity and salinity, much more difficult evacuation conditions in the event of a fire, and the need for more demanding maintenance than in any car. Replicate the truck business model. CATL does not want to limit itself to selling batteries, as it wants to build an entire infrastructure around it, just as share in FT. It already operates in China a network of battery exchange points for trucks on highways, and now intends to take that same model to the sea. The idea is that ship operators can change their batteries in port without having to charge them, which would also eliminate that cost from the ship’s acquisition price. The company is working with municipalities and ports to develop this ecosystem from scratch; Cities like Guangzhou, one of China’s major shipbuilding centers, already offer subsidies for electric-powered vessels, according to share the middle. A personal story. There is a rather curious detail in all this. And just as account FT, Robin Zeng, founder of CATL, studied marine engineering at university before switching to electronics. “Naval engineering was his original discipline and passion,” Su Yi explained to the outlet. It has its advantages, because over time this discipline could end up becoming the next great industrial transformation of your company. Financial muscle. CATL closed 2025 with a net profit of 72.2 billion yuan (about 10.4 billion dollars), 42% more than the previous year, driven mainly by demand for energy storage. From this position of financial strength, the company has the muscle to invest long-term in a sector where margins are still uncertain. We’ll see how the company ends up doing. Cover image | Wikipedia and Elias In Xataka | In 2022, Europe forced energy companies to swallow the cost of the gas crisis. Now she’s willing to do the same.

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